Glutamine is an important nutrient in the management of gastrointestinal disease

Glutamine is a 5-carbon amino acid which is important in several metabolic pathways. It is not regarded as an essential amino acid in normal healthy animals, but in serious disease situations it may not be synthesised in adequate amounts and so it becomes "conditionally essential" and should be present in the ration.

Enterocytes preferentially use glutamine as their energy source and so glutamine is important to maintain integrity of the intestinal mucosa. For this reason many gastroenterologists consider glutamine to be a "conditionally essential nutrient" and ensure adequate glutamine intake in patients with severe gastrointestinal disease.

The glutamine can be present in food - especially meat-based rations, or it can be provided as an oral supplement 0.5g per kg body weight per day - usually as a 2% solution. There are also human enteral products that are available which contain adequate amounts of  glutamine.

Updated October 2013